George
Goodbye to my wonderful baby brother ... kind, thoughtful, witty, caring, always optimistic. Your smile will stay with your friends and family for the rest of our lives.
IRISH, George
1963 - 2025
George Irish
October 3, 1963 - September 7, 2025
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of George Irish. George suffered a heart attack while mountain biking. He left us far, far too early, and we deeply wish that this hadn’t happened. But we take comfort from knowing how happy he was, as he was out in nature on a beautiful day, doing what he liked, and, most importantly, enjoying it with our daughter Fenna who was the greatest joy of his life.
George was so many things, and even those who had known him for many years would occasionally be surprised as he revealed another layer of his multi-faceted interests. (“George the Swiftie?”) He was smart and engaged. After over 20 years working at Amnesty International, he reinvented his professional self last year working to demystify AI and making it work for the nonprofit sector. He was observant and modest and preferred to listen rather than state his opinions, but when he would, it was usually profound. (We would often realize however, that when he seemed to be pondering deep thoughts, he was actually playing Polytopia).
He was a technology geek (“I programmed things so that when we say ‘google, it’s coffee time’, it automatically plays the fireplace channel on the TV and turns on the Christmas tree lights!”). He was a passionate D&D player for over 40 years with the same group of friends from high school, and he was endlessly curious and interested in so many things (“I just finished the 500-episode history podcast about the Byzantium”). He loved smelly foods (“Mmmm, Kimchi Sauerkraut”) and enjoyed taunting friends on social media with endless pictures of ‘Kaffee and Kuchen’ during annual visits to Germany.
Most of all, he was kind. He was considerate, caring, and endlessly patient. He was the best imaginable life partner and most incredible dad, brother, cousin, uncle, friend, neighbour, and colleague. George, we love you so much. And while we are immensely sad, we are so grateful for the time that we had together, and for all the shared adventures and happy memories that will stay with us.
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